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More and more women are waiting until their late thirties,
early forties, even late forties, to have children


Fertility After Forty
By Susun Weed


The most fertile years of a woman's life are those between 18 and
28. Even into the mid-thirties, it is usually fairly easy to
conceive and carry a pregnancy to term. During these years the
hormones that control ovulation, enhance conception, and ensure a
healthy pregnancy are usually made easily and in generous
quantities. And detrimental life-style choices have not had
decades of repetition to create chronic problems.

But more and more women are waiting until their late thirties,
early forties, even late forties, to have children. Is this too
late? Are these destined to have high-risk pregnancies? Will
these children have more birth defects?

The answer to these questions - and others like them - is "no!"
for wise women who enlist the help of green allies to increase
fertility, ensure conception, prevent birth defects, and promote
a healthy pregnancy and an easy delivery.


INCREASING FERTILITY; ENSURING CONCEPTION

Increase your chances of conception by meditating. Cultivating a
calm attitude, not surprisingly, enhances fertility. Even taking
a quiet five minutes alone just for you, free of all
responsibilities, can bring big results if done frequently
enough.

Use lunaception to time your ovulation so you have the best odds
of conceiving. It's fine to have sex in the weeks before
ovulation, especially if the sex is focused on the woman and her
orgasm, but do save your best efforts for those three nights when
your "moon" is full and bright and ready to frolic.


Orgasm on the part of the male is necessary for fertilization.
The woman's orgasm does increase the possibility of conception.
Women who experience orgasm after their partner (up to 40 minutes
after his ejaculation) have the very best chance of becoming
pregnant.

Red clover is the single best remedy for women over forty who
want to conceive but can't - even if there are medical reasons
for not conceiving such as blocked tubes, diabetes, ovarian
cysts, internal scarring, or endometriosis. There are many
heart-warming success stories I could share about red clover! But
suffice to say, drinking 2-4 cups of the infusion of the dried
blossoms (neither tincture nor tea nor pills will work for this
application) seems to do wonders for fertility, no matter what
your age.


PREVENTING BIRTH DEFECTS

Boosting your nutritional status makes birth defects less of a
worry. Women who drink 2-4 cups of stinging nettle infusion daily
and eat cooked leafy greens as well as lettuce salads are getting
the abundant folic acid, calcium, magnesium, and other minerals
needed to create a healthy baby. (Tinctures, pills, and teas
contain little or none of these important nutrients.)

Vitamin E is an especially critical nutrient for fertility after
forty and freedom from birth defects. Freshly-ground wheat flour,
cold-pressed oils, and nut butters are all good sources of
vitamin E, as are stinging nettle infusion and most cooked
seaweed, such as kelp. The man's vitamin E level has as much, if
not more, bearing on freedom from birth defects as does the
woman's vitamin E level.

Avoid heat, both of you. Hot tubs, even prolonged soaking in a
hot bath, can cause temporary (up to several months) sterility in
some men. In women, it can endanger the early embryo and trigger
a miscarriage or birth defects.

Avoid drugs, both of you, including alcohol, tobacco, coffee, as
well as over-the-counter drugs and prescription drugs (except
those you absolutely need). Your liver needs to be strong and so
do your kidneys, so you can conceive and gestate a child. Instead
of alcohol, which damages the liver, drink herbal infusions or
alcohol-free wine or beer. Instead of tobacco, which may
contribute to birth defects and low birth weight, try smoking a
little dried peppermint, or, better yet, go for a walk. Instead
of coffee, which challenges the kidneys, you may wish to drink
green tea or black tea, or try coffee substitutes, especially the
one made with dandelion roots. Instead of drugs to ease everyday
aches and pains, use the gentle herbal remedies in this book
instead.


EMOTIONAL ISSUES

Ambivalence about pregnancy and parenthood is normal and natural.
But the older a woman gets, the more complicated her emotions
about it may be. Add to her emotional soup pot strong opinions
from family and friends, confusing information spread by the
popular media, and fear-inducing pronouncements from "helpful"
medical professionals, and that pot will be in danger of boiling
over. Herewith then, some wise woman hints for keeping your cool
in the midst of overt and covert confusion.

Contrary to current opinion, having children in your forties is
ordinary and common worldwide. The Bible mentions several women
having children in their fifties. What is unusual and unique to
our time is having a first child in one's forties. Our mother’s,
mother’s, mothers were having their fifth or eighth or tenth
child when they were in their forties, not their first. If people
tell you it just isn't done, close your eyes and call upon the
spirit of your great-great-great-great grandmother, then smile
and tell them it seems utterly ordinary to you.

Feeling tense and distressed about choosing or refusing
motherhood? Motherwort tincture is my favorite calmative. A dose
of 10-20 drops helps clear your mind, eases your tension, and
assists you in discerning the best path to follow.

Bach flower remedies excel as helpers when you are feeling
emotionally overwhelmed. Try:


Aspen when you feel anxious, apprehensive, or afraid of the
unknown.

Mimulus when you are dwelling on a specific fear.

Elm when you feel overwhelmed or inadequate.

Red Chestnut when you are afraid for or worried about your baby
to be.

Rock Rose when you are trembling, shaking, or weeping from
anxiety or fear.


Regular gentle massage or Reiki treatments not only help you calm
your distress, they also guide you in creating a strong center
that's resistant to being pushed around by other people's
opinions. Massage and/or Reiki also help prepare your mind/body
for a healthy pregnancy and a safe birth.

SPECIAL ALLIES FOR PREGNANT WOMEN OVER FORTY

The single most important herb for pregnant women over forty is
comfrey (Symphytum uplandica hybrids). The leaves of the mature
plant contain an abundance of constituents beneficial to mother
and babe, including generous amounts of minerals, alantoin,
proteins, and many vitamins. The minerals in comfrey help ensure
healthy nervous system growth; the fetus’s developing brain uses
the proteins. And the alantoin helps the mother's tissues become
stretchy and elastic.

Aging can lead to increased stiffness and brittleness in bones
and muscles, making pregnancy more arduous and painful, labor
slower and more difficult, and injury more likely during birth.
The hormones of pregnancy, which help soften and relax the pelvic
tissues, may not be produced in adequate amounts. Comfrey comes
to the rescue! Comfrey creates flexible and strong tissues
throughout the body especially mucus surfaces (including
intestines, uterus, bladder and vagina), the bones, the ligaments
and tendons, and the skin.


Regular use of the leaf infusion, at least a quart a week,
promotes a safe delivery by:


strengthening uterine muscles and preparing them to work easily
and well

strengthening perineal tissues so they become resistant to
tearing

strengthening uterine ligaments so the uterus does not prolapse

strengthening the bladder and increasing resistance to bacterial
infection

strengthening the vagina and helping to promote an environment
hostile to infection

providing easily assimilated minerals to prevent eclampsia and
other complications

helping the bones of the pelvis flex and open during birth

increasing iron in the blood and thus forestalling post-partum
hemorrhage.

I harvest the flowering stalks when they are fully formed; and I
am careful to use the cultivated garden comfrey, which grows very
tall and has purplish, pinkish, bluish flowers. I avoid wild
comfrey, which stays rather small even when flowering, and has
cream-colored, white, or yellowish flowers.

Some people feel that comfrey is not safe to use during
pregnancy. Some people feel comfrey is not safe to use internally
at all. I disagree. The roots of comfrey do contain compounds
that are best avoided during pregnancy (as do all parts of the
wild plant). In fact, I rarely use comfrey root because of the
possibility of liver congestion, and I strongly caution those who
have had hepatitis, chemotherapy, or alcohol problems to strictly
avoid comfrey root. Yet even these people can benefit from use of
comfrey leaf infusions.

Another important herbal ally for women over forty who desire a
child is chaste tree (Vitex agnus-castii). It has been used in
Africa and parts of Europe for several thousand years to
discourage the male libido. In women, the effects seem to be the
opposite! It may also be a fertility enhancer. Most importantly,
chaste tree is a strengthening tonic for the pituitary gland, the
master control gland for the endocrine system. Daily use of the
tincture of the berries (1 dropperful/1 ml 2-3 times daily) had
been shown to increase progesterone - the hormone of pregnancy -
and luteinizing hormone - which promotes conception. Because it
can lower prolactin levels, chaste tree is best discontinued
during the last trimester of pregnancy.

Dong quai (Angelica sinensis) is not recommended for women over
forty. In general, this herb promotes blood flow to the uterus
and surrounding tissues. This can promote the growth of fibroids
and increase the risk of post-partum hemorrhage. Ginger is a
better warming tonic; motherwort is better at relieving pain; and
raspberry is better at preparing the uterus for birth.


Legal Disclaimer: This content is not intended to replace
conventional medical treatment. Any suggestions made and all
herbs listed are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent
any disease, condition or symptom. Personal directions and use
should be provided by a clinical herbalist or other qualified
healthcare practitioner with a specific formula for you. All
material contained herein is provided for general information
purposes only and should not be considered medical advice or
consultation. Contact a reputable healthcare practitioner if you
are in need of medical care. Exercise self-empowerment by seeking
a second opinion.


Susun Weed
PO Box 64
Woodstock, NY 12498
Fax: 1-845-246-8081

Vibrant, passionate, and involved, Susun Weed has garnered an
international reputation for her groundbreaking lectures,
teachings, and writings on health and nutrition. She challenges
conventional medical approaches with humor, insight, and her vast
encyclopedic knowledge of herbal medicine. Unabashedly pro-woman,
her animated and enthusiastic lectures are engaging and often
profoundly provocative.

Susan is one of America's best-known authorities on herbal
medicine and natural approaches to women's health. Her four
best-selling books are recommended by expert herbalists and
well-known physicians and are used and cherished by millions of
women around the world. Learn more at http://www.susunweed.com



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